Mounting Staghorn Ferns on Cedar Planks

Recently, my aunt gave me four Staghorn Ferns that were the trimmings off of a larger plant. She didn’t want to worry about re-potting them herself, she just wanted to be sure they didn’t die on her watch. Since Staghorns are prolific growers, and conducive to splitting and sharing with friends, I wanted to show you the process I used to mount them on boards. Staghorn ferns can be expensive if you buy them from your local nursery, so knowing how to care for a Staghorn cutting (ahem, usually free!) can be valuable information.

I started by building a cedar backing for the Staghorns to grow on. These ferns are epiphytic meaning, in nature, they grow on trees and get nutrients from the air and rain water. I have seen small Staghorns growing in pots, but I tend to think that if a plant grows a certain way in nature, I should do my best to mimic that growing environment in my garden. I started with three cedar fence boards and two 1×2-inch cedar strips from Home Depot. The total cost of the wood was under $10.

First, I cut the fence boards into even thirds on my husband’s radial saw (you can use a hand saw if you don’t have power tool access.) I set three planks together to form a 16×16-inch backboard. My fern trimmings were on the medium-large size, and I didn’t want to worry about re-mounting them anytime soon, so I made my backboard large enough to accommodate a few years worth of growth.

Next, I cut the 1×2 strips into 16-inch pieces. I placed two of the strips under the fence planks (perpendicular to the planks), and secured the wood pieces together with 1 1/2-inch screws.

Then, I flipped the backboard over and drilled two more screws into the center of a supporting strip. I wrapped 12-gauge wire around both of the screws, leaving a little slack in the wire. This would allow me to hang the plant on a nail or hook. I snipped the excess wire, and then used my cordless drill to tighten the screws down.

Now that my backboard was complete, I was ready to mount my Staghorn Fern!For this I used:Sphagnum MossCopper Wire or Heavy Fishing LineScissors or Wire Snips & PliersMesh Bag (like the kind you can buy citrus in at the market)

I filled the mesh bag with the Sphagnum moss, and placed it in the center of the backboard. I like to add a handful of extra moss on top of the mesh bag to help the fern’s root-ball anchor more quickly.

After creating my nest of moss, I set the fern on top of it, pressed it down with an open palm, and wrapped my copper wire around the plant and the backboard. I wrapped the wire around itself on the back side of the backboard, and tightened with a pair of pliers. Repeat this step until the fern is secure against the backboard. Eventually, the fern will grow over the wire or fishing line so that it will not be visible.

Once the fern is secured on the lovely cedar backing, you can hang it wherever you like! Staghorn ferns like bright, indirect sunlight to partial shade. I have never had luck growing them indoors (which looks extremely posh, but is exceedingly impractical) or in direct sunlight. The moss will keep moist for a good while. I usually water my Staghorns two or three times a month during the cooler seasons and increase my watering to about once a week in the summer.

Note, the first time I trimmed a Staghorn fern, I was sick for days afterwards. Ferns have millions of spores that can cause violent allergic reactions (Surprise, Megan! You’re allergic to ferns!). If you are not sure whether you are allergic to ferns, you may consider wearing a mask while working with them.

Comments

I love staghorns. Alas, I think I’m killing the one I have. It was flourishing! Then winter started. And I moved. And I re-potted him at some point – all of which are probably contributing factors. But I don’t know what to do to revive the poor guy now. Sigh.

Cassandra! Thanks darling. I’m sorry to hear about your staghorn! Take a pic and email it to me. I might be able to do some plant detective work on it… My mom had a few staghorns croak when some slugs and snails got into the moss and started eating it from the inside out. Might want to check your moss? Also, if you just moved it may just be settling in? Good luck to you! Thanks for reading and commenting

Just found your blog today via Dainty Squid. And I LOVED this post! I’ve been fascinated by staghorn ferns but didn’t know anything about how they grow OR that they can cause allergic reactions. This was full of useful info and I went from hoping to try this DIY to thinking maybe I should just admire yours from afar..

Beautiful mount! Thanks for all the detailed information and the great photos. I’m getting ready to try to mount two of them in the next week and your blog is one of the most helpful in terms of preparing a mounting board. I do have one comment/question and it’s this: isn’t copper wire unhealthy for most plants? I know it is deadly for tillandsia plants and I just googled it for staghorns and several hits came up. I’ve heard the best way to kill a tree is pound copper nails into the trunk.

I’m interested in mounting my staghorn on a board but I need to make sure that it does not leak from the bottom when I water it. I live in Virginia and have had this staghorn for over 6 months in a room that is quite open with a lot of windows and sun light in the afternoons. I also have a variety of Christmas cactus’ growing in this room. I like the idea of cedar for a board,but want to make sure that when the staghorn is mounted it won’t leak when watered. Any ideas are appreciated.